Maine has received approval for a grant under the Lost Wages Assistance program that will allow the state to provide an extra $300 per week to those unemployed due to the coronavirus. The $300 would be in addition to a person’s regular unemployment benefit.
It is unclear when this money will become available to Mainers, as FEMA, which administers Lost Wages grants, has only said it plans to work with Gov. Janet Mills to implement the funding. The money in the program comes from the $44 billion President Trump made available from FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund on Aug. 8 to provide financial assistance to Americans who have lost wages due to the COVID-19 pandemic.